Projectile.



D. WELTON.

PROJECTILE.

APPLICATION HLED NOV- 16, [914. 1, 181 ,1 90. Patented May 2, 1916.

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PROJECTILE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16. I914.

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PROJECTILE.

APPLICATION r1150 NOV. 16. 1914.

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DAVID WELTON, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

PBOJ'ECTlLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2, 1916.

Application filed November 16, 1914. Serial No. 872,421.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, DAVID WELTON, a citize of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Projectiles, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in projectiles.

One ob ect of the present invention is the provision of a projectile especially adapted for use in destroying air craft and especially to that class of the balloon type.

Another object of the invention is the'provision, of means provided in connection with the projectile, for igniting the same, at the will of the person or persons projecting the same.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means upon said projectile for retaining it in engagement with the object at which it is directed until the same explodes.

A further object of the invention is to improve and simplify devices of this character, rendering them comparatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, reliable and efficient in use, and readily operated.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention resides in the novel features of construction, formations, combinations and arrangements of parts, to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention, illustrating the manner of igniting the same. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the projectile shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view showing details of various parts of the projectile illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is a side elevatio of a modified form of projectile in which a fuse is employed to ignite the same. Fig. 5 is a detail sectionalview of the projectile shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken through a still further modified form of projectile, and Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional View, taken on the line 77 of Fig. 6.

Referring t the accompanying drawings, by like characters of reference throughout the several views, to indicate corresponding parts, and at present more particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the numeral 10 denotes a projectile or electric bomb, which comprises a casing 11 of any suitable shape and size, the same being filled with nitro-glycerin or other powerful explosive shown at 12. A compartment 13 is provided in said casing 11, and is adapted to contain powder by means of which the nitro-glycerin is exploded. The powder, shown at 14, is preferably ignited by a spark plug 15, which is connected to a flexible conductor 16, which is in turn attached as at 17 to the casing 11, which prevents the same from becoming displaced from the said spark plug.

The conductor 16 is of any desired length, and is wound preferably around a drum 18. This drum 18 is provided with a brake drum 19 engaged by a brake band 20 which controls the rotation of said drum 18. A contact plate 21 is attached to the drum 18 and to this contact plate, one end of the flexible conductor 16 is attached. A contact plunger 22 is mounted adjacent the plate 21 and is terminally equipped with a roller which engages the said plate 21. A conductor connects the plunger 22 with a switch 23, as clearly shown at 24 in Fig. 1, while a second conductor leads from the switch 23 to a battery 25. The flexible conductor comprises two strands of conducting wire, one of which is attached to the plate 21 as above mentioned, while the latter is carried to the battery 25, and obviously when the switch is operated to close the circuit, the spark plug will be actuated to ignite the projectile. Anymeans can be employed to throw the projectile.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings, a modified form of projectile is illustrated which comprises a casing 26 of any suitable material, which is capable of holding any suitable explosive material. The fuse tubing is shown at 27, and is preferably coiled as shown, and in this tubing is disposed a fuse 28, of any slow burning substance, to permit the projectile reaching its destination before being exploded. The projectile shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is provided with claws orhooks 29, which causes it to cling to the object at which it is directed until exploding. The said projectile can be thrown in any preferred manner.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 6 and 7, the numeral 30 denotes the projectile which is preferably of a torpedo shape, and comprises an outer shell or casing 31, filled with any highly explosive substance position by a removable cap 35, formed at its inner end with a removable cap seat 36,

for the reception of an explosive cap 37. A plunger 38 is slidable within the cap 35, and is formed with a head 39 which is normally forced in the direction of the seat 36, by a spring 40. The plunger is limited in its inward movement by a removable key 41, while attached to the end of the plunger is a flexible member 42. Obviously as the device is thrown, the member 42 will withdraw the plunger against the tension of the spring 40, which upon expanding after the member 42 is released will strike the explosive cap 37, igniting the powder and consequently the explosive substance 32.

It should be understood in this connection that various minor changes in the specific details of construction can be resorted to within the scope of the appended claim without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

From the foregoing disclosures taken in connection with the accompanying drawings it will be manifest that a projectile and means for exploding the same is provided which will fulfil all the necessary requirements of such a device.

Having thus fully described this invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

In a projectile, a casing, a cap secured to one end of the casing, an explosive substance within said casing, a cap seat disposed within the casing and supported by the cap, a plunger slidably located within the cap for movement to and from the cap seat, a head formed upon the plunger for engagement with the cap seat, a spring interposed between the plunger head and cap to force the plunger head yieldingly into en: gagement with the cap seat, and a flexible member connected to the plunger whereby when'the projectile is thrown the said plunger will be movedaway from the cap seat and then forced into engagement therewith by the spring for the purpose of exploding the cap and igniting the explosive substance within the casing.

In testimon whereof I aflix my signature 4 two witnesses.

DAVID WELTON.

in presence 0 Witnesses:

MARGARET E. DITTMER, BEBTHA L. BECKER. 

